BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

I would say the opposite really - the content will always be strong but I think it has somewhat highlighted how Huw is there only real heavyweight presenter. It has been adequately covered but nobody has emerged as anything more than that really - cover.

Anyhow good to see him back and it is great that his privacy has been respected over the last 18 months.

That's just it, BBC News has a range of solid presenters who are capable of covering the flagship bulletins, but only two heavyweights.

Not sure 'heavyweight' is the right word. I'd rank Sophie and Fiona alongside Huw and George as credible, experienced, high quality presenters with the skills and ability to handle a serious network broadcast. Huw and George may have more experience of breaking news, both having done News Channel and/or News 24 shows, but I'd certainly rate Sophie and Fiona as top tier presenters.

(And both would run rings around Tom Bradby in presentation ability...)

I'd also put Jane Hill high up the list of very talented, sometimes underrated, presenters. She can present a BBC One bulletin without any criticism, and handles breaking news as if it is water off a duck's back. And has the ability to do light and shade. Maxine Mawhinney would also be in that list, as would Mathew Amroliwala.

I'd disagree with this sentiment. Fiona Bruce is easily as 'heavyweight' as Huw Edwards or George Alagiah, and I think Sophie Raworth has proven to be one of the most consistent and capable presenters since moving to single-presenter bulletins, and I find her preferable to Huw Edwards as it happens. Jane Hill is similarly capable and well suited to the main bulletins. Honestly I think it has more to do with how familiar one is with Edwards and Alagiah as established newsmen than their autocue-reading somehow being greatly better than colleagues'. I don't think George was particularly well suited to double-headed bulletins either, and Huw's style still resembles someone who hasn't quite read the script all the way through (which clearly he has, before anyone misunderstands that remark).

That said, I don't think Reeta Chackrabati has been a great choice. She's definitely improved with experience, but still has a subtly-off delivery which bugs me. Clive Myrie is perfectly competent, but his delivery is quite lifeless when news reading. I think it's these secondary presenters who have, possibly, been lacking a little - compared to a few years ago when Sophie Raworth, Mishal Husain and Sian Williams were providing such cover. With any luck there'll be a little less Reeta on the Six and Ten with George back - though it'll be interesting to see where Kate Silverton will slot in when she returns (according to someone on here). Kate is certainly not what I'd regard as a heavyweight.

There's no disputing the gravitas the presenters you mention have. It's a typical BBC trait that they have a range of presenters who are capable of presenting flagship bulletins, but do they really have the personality to command the audience and stamp their mark on it?

In the case of Fiona Bruce, possibly and has the ability to present other formats, such as Antiques Roadshow. Sophie Raworth on the other hand is solid, capable, but in my opinion doesn't have the commanding presence of George, Huw and even Fiona. Moira Stewart and Anna Ford could command the audience on their delivery alone in the 70s and 80s.

Jane Hill is a good call, I'm surprised she hasn't been offered one of the network gigs.

However, it's all in a different league to Tom Bradby, who while I'm the first to admit that change was needed at ITV, isn't my first choice to deliver a more personalised bulletin and even if Sophie Raworth was covering for Huw, it'd still blow ITV on share alone thanks to the BBC's more mainstream bulletin.

You've kind of gone on to post my own counter argument there but I think the problem is is that Sophie and Fiona come across very much as presenters, while George and Huw have the background in international affairs and politics. Sophie has found herself tarnished with the royal brush which somewhat pigeon-holes her as a presenter more suited to fluff pieces than hard news, while although Fiona is very capable she has always been the understudy to Huw - and that sort of perception sticks. I'd be quite surprised that should Huw quit if she was first in line to replace him.


Do agree though Jane Hill is a very capable presenter - much prefer her to Sophie myself. Also rate Mishal Hussain quite highly too.

I think the trouble is on the whole at the BBC there is a clear distinction between the presenters and reporters, at least on the BBC1 bulletins. ITN have always blurred the lines a bit more which I think gives a bit more strength in depth.

I think that's a fair summary, Sophie and Fiona came to network news predominently as newsreaders rather than having been seen regularly as reporters (although I seem to think that Sophie did some reporting at Look North rather than being entirely studio based) so there is a (wrong) perception that they are just autocue readers.

Jane Hill beats everyone else hands down in my opinion. She's just faultless. Should be senior anchor.

Indeed, Moz. And Mishal Husain has also impressed me of late.

This subject is highly subjective and we all look for different things in our news people. One think I feel is highly important is the ability to look down the lens into the living room. That being the case, Huw doesn't hit the spot for me at all. I find his continual eye movements and looking down below the camera and to the side to be very offputting. It's almost as though he's trying to give the impression he's ad-libbing, whereas we all know the script is right there in front of him. It annoys me immensely.

The best reporters dont usually make good presenters and the best presenters dont usually make good reporters. They are different skillsets which different people are suited to. That said, i firmly believe that if you are anchoring a main bulletin you really should have had a lot of reporting experience before moving to presenting.

I cant say i have ever noticed Huw's eyes darting all over the place, i guess i'm not paying close enough attention.

Reeta Chakrabarti is an excellent reporter and presenter and should be offered a job on World News.

I share the same observation.

Thing is, if you watch some older 90s/early 00s BBC News bulletins on Youtube with Huw, he didn't do it.

And just to back up the highly subjective nature of it all I would say the opposite - I find the presenter staring straight down the lens somewhat terrifying.

I think ultimately I need to feel that the person reading the news will not just read anything that is put in front of them at face value, but at the same time they've got to do so in such a way that allows the viewer to interpret what they're being told rather than it being Tom Bradbyeed.